The ancient history of the Rudyke name begins with the ancient Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. The name is derived from when the family resided near a ridge. Also, some examples of the name are of nickname derivation. This makes Rudyke a classic example of an English polygenetic surname, which is a surname that was developed in a number of different locations and adopted by various families independently. The local variant of the surname is derived from the Old English word hrycg, which means ridge. In Old English, thish word became rugge,regge, and rigge in various dialects of the language. The surname Rudyke is derived from the rugge variant of the word. The nickname variant is derived from the Anglo French word rugge (rouge in Modern French) which means red, and would have been the nickname of someone with brilliant red hair.

Early Origins of the Rudyke family

The surname Rudyke was first found in Shropshire at Rudge, a township, in the parish of Pattingham. "The surname is doubtless derived from a township in Shropshire so called. " [1]CITATION[CLOSE]Lowe, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print. The place name was listed in the Domesday Book of 1086 as Rigge [2]CITATION[CLOSE]Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8) and was derived from the Old English word "hrycg" which means "place at the ridge." [3]CITATION[CLOSE]Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4) There are few other places named Rudge in Britain, specifically in the counties Devon, Wiltshire and Somerset and all are very small locals and have remained small through the centuries. An early member of the family was John de Rugge, of Seysdon, Staffordshire who was living, 17 Edward II.

Early History of the Rudyke family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Rudyke research.Another 193 words (14 lines of text) covering the years 1320 and 1637 are included under the topic Early Rudyke History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Rudyke Spelling Variations

Until quite recently, the English language has lacked a definite system of spelling rules. Consequently, Anglo-Saxon surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. Changes in Anglo-Saxon names were influenced by the evolution of the English language, as it incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other languages. Although Medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, so it is common to find one person referred to by several different spellings of his surname, even the most literate people varied the spelling of their own names. Variations of the name Rudyke include Rudge, Ruidge, Roidge, Rutdge, Rutge, Rudych, Rutch, Rutche, Ruitge and many more.

Early Notables of the Rudyke family (pre 1700)

More information is included under the topic Early Rudyke Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Rudyke family to the New World and Oceana

Searching for a better life, many English families migrated to British colonies. Unfortunately, the majority of them traveled under extremely harsh conditions: overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the ocean. For those families that arrived safely, modest prosperity was attainable, and many went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the new colonies. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Rudyke or a variant listed above: Joe Rudge, who settled in Barbados in 1635; Thomas Rudge, who settled in New York in 1679; as well as George and John Rudge, who arrived in Philadelphia in 1820..

The Rudyke Motto

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.